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Our neighbours, the Transport Research Laboratory, last week highlighted the dangers of using hand-held mobile phones while driving. We all know it's going on and escalating as a problem but at least we have some solid research to back it up.
In 2006, TRL found that 2.6% of car drivers used hand-held mobile phones. Two years on, the figure has crept up to 2.8%. The information was gathered from observing 14,000 drivers at 30 separate sites around London. These are, I would suggest very conservative figures and only take into account car drivers, not van or commercial vehicle or even taxi drivers.
When tougher penalties of £60 fines and three penalty points were introduced in 2007 for breaking the law, the figures actually dropped to 1.4% but have since doubled. Meanwhile hands-free mobile usage has quadrupled from 1.2% to 4.8%.
According to TRL, drivers using mobile phones while driving are four times more likely to have an accident. Reaction times are slower and drivers will be less aware of what's going on around them.
The fact is that drivers are these days more likely to break the law by driving while talking on a hand-held mobile phone than being over the limit through drink-driving. And yet in both instances, reaction times are likely to be impaired and the potential consequences just as fatal.
Government needs to be far tougher on the transgressors. The penalties need to be higher and there needs to be greater enforcement. And organisations need to be much firmer about hand-held mobile phone usage. It is only a matter of time before we learn about yet another fatality resulting in punishment for the driver and the company.
Usage of a hand-held mobile phone while driving on company business should be banned and clearly stated as being not allowed under company fleet policy.
The focus at this time of year is naturally on drink-driving but the flagrant breach of mobile phone laws should not be ignored either. Both represent a danger to the law-breaker and other road users, be they in vehicles or not.
On that serious note, I wish readers of this blog a very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.
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